Fence-post.



- No.17o9,30o. Patented Sept. l6, I902. J. BUCHTEL.

FENCE POST;

(Application filed Apr. 17, 1901.)

(m5 Model.)

Joseph Buchiel;

WITNESSES A TTOHNEYS fied form of standard hereinafter referred to.

. and Improved Fence-Post, of which the folthe blank stamped out by diesto the shape NITED STATES LATENT rrrcn.

JOSEPH BUOHTEL, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

FENCE- POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 709,300, datedSeptember 16, 1902.

Application filed April 17, 1901. Serial No. 56,254.. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BUCHTEL, residing at Portland, in the countyof Multnomah and. Stateof Oregon, have invented a new lowing is aspecification.

My invention is in the nature of an improved fence-post, especially forbarbed or plain wire strands, and com prehends a novel construction ofanchor member and a cooperating standard or post member detachablysupported in and held interlocked with the anchor member.

In its more complete nature my improved postcomprises an anchor membermade of a single piece of malleable sheet steel or iron stamped or cutto form and bent up to receive a standard provided withsuitably-arranged wire-strand-receiving notches.

Subordinately,my invention consists in certain details of constructionand arrangement of parts, all of which willhereinafter be fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims, reference being hadto theaccompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinn-J proved fence-post. "Fig. 2 is avertical section of the same. Fig.3 is a-diagrammatic plan view illustrating the blank from which theanchor members are formed. Fig. 4 is adetail view of one of the anchors.Fig. 5is a cross-section of the same on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6is a similar View of the anchor and post members connected. Fig. 7 is adetail view of one of the wire-strand holders or posts. Fig. 8 is a viewof a slightly-modi- In the practical construction of my improvedfence-post the anchor member A is made from malleable sheet steel oriron and shown in Fig. 3, by reference to which it will be noticed theblank consists of a central square portion 1 and oppositely-extending tapering portions 2 2, that terminate in pointed ends 2 to formpenetrating members, for the purpose presentlyv explained. The portion 1is extended transversely at each side to form flanges 3 3, and centrallythe body 1 is punched with a series of prongs 4 4, the reason for whichwill presently appear. Each member 2 is slitted longitudinally, as at 2about half-way the length thereof, and each slit 2 terminates near thecentral part 1, where it merges with a transverse slit 2 that extendspartly across, and the said cross-slits area distance away from thecentral part 1 equal that of the length of flanges 3 3, whereby to formsolid pendent portions :1: at the opposite ends of the part 1 equal thatof the pendent flanges y en the opposite sides of the part 1, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2, from which it will be seen the two pendent portions :1;and y act as earth-penetrating parts to produce, as it were, a firmanchorage for the top plate. The blank after being cut as described hasits ends 2 bent down at right angles. The parts adjacent the slits 2 arebent outward to produce anchor-ribs c 0.

So far as described it will be readily ap parent that for soft groundthe anchor can be readily forced down until its top plate 1 is sunkflush with the earth surface, and when very soft the earth surroundingthe anchor may be tamped. For very hard ground a dummypost or tool ofsolid non-flexible metal is first used to produce the opening into whichmy anchor member is forced after the dummy is withdrawn. After theanchor portion is fixed the standard or post proper, B, is setin placeby pushing its lower end I) through the punched and spurred opening inthe part 1 of anchor A, the spurs or prongs serving to grip the shank band also form astay therefor. It will thus be apparent that the member Awhen fixed in the ground is braced in every direction by the flanges 3 3and by reason of said flanges tapering down from the top toward thebottom they form no obstruction when pushing the anchor member A down.The standard or post B, which may be of any approved shape, ispreferably of case the flange t has the wire-slots and closure members bFrom the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,it is thought the advantages and the manner in which my post can beformed and put up will be readily understood.

The anchor member while of a simple form has the elements of durabilityand strength, and by reason of its peculiarly-constructed brace portionsit becomes firmly anchored either in soft or hard ground and acts as afirm base for the posts B, which by reason of the firmness of the eartharound their shank or penetrating portions require no further bracingmeans than that effected by the anchor A and the wire strands.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A fence-post, consisting in combination, a post or standard, havingmeans for receiving and holding the wire strands, and having a circularshank, an anchor member having a top portion, provided with a centralaperture, the edges, of which have downwardlybent clam ping-pron gs. toengage the shank of the post, said anchor member having short pendentflanges on two of its opposite sides, and long penetrating members atthe two other sides, said members having outwardlybent anchoring-ribs,substantially as shown and described.

2. As an article of manufacture, an anchor member for fence-posts,consisting of a top portion having acentral aperture, the edges of whichhave downwardly-bent clampingprongs to engage the post; said anchormember having downwardly-bent flanges on two of its opposite sides andlong downwardly-extending penetrating members on the two other sides,said penetrating members having outwardly-bent anchoring-ribs, as shownand 40 described.

JOSEPH BUCHTEL.

Witnesses:

A. T. LEWIS, W. H. COURTNEY.

